Why do a Race Recce?
by Doug Stewart
Recce: Another name for a reconnaissance, US English = Recon
Cambridge Online English Dictionary:
- the process of getting information about enemy forces or positions by sending out small groups of soldiers or by using aircraft, etc.
Or
- the process of visiting and quickly looking around a place in order to find out information about it.
Doing my own recce of the UTMB course in 2021
Recently I spent several weekends with athletes I coach on race routes that they are racing later in the year. But what are the reasons and benefits of conducting a recce of a race route?
Familiarisation with the Course
This helps massively on race day with navigation and psychologically. Although most cycling or running races are well marked, taking the stress out of route finding makes a difference on race day. Besides, it helps significantly to know what is coming up as you pace yourself through the course.
When cycling, understanding the upcoming corners, especially downhill or if riding in aero bars, helps to determine how fast you can go and to optimise your line choice going in. Knowing the route in advance should also help reduce the chances of getting lost/taking a wrong turn during the race. Using GPX files is great, but they can sometimes not provide the clarity required, or, if using a screen that doesn’t show the overall map features, it will be helpful not having to constantly switch between screens.
Psychologically, knowing the course is also very beneficial. Firstly, making a wrong turn can be incredibly frustrating. Secondly, understanding how far it is to the top of a climb or to an aid station is unbelievably valuable, especially later into a race. Additionally, the accuracy of GPX and/or details on race websites regarding distances often do not match perfectly. Therefore, knowing where key features are on the course, such as a checkpoint, helps you manage your race and mental state better.
Pacing
In races with a well-established history and consistent route, you can often find detailed breakdowns of how long the course takes and splits between aid stations or key climbs from previous results or websites like Strava. This helps as a starting point. However, if you’re taking on a new race, or an existing race but with a new route, then it can get harder to determine how long it will take. This is especially true in a trail race, where underfoot conditions will have a large impact on running speed. By spending time on the course, you will get an understanding of how fast you could be and sketch out a race day plan. This will then also influence your nutrition plans – as it will help inform how long you may take between aid stations and also where would be the most appropriate to eat/drink.
The Views
Depending on the location of your race, the recce is a fantastic time to enjoy the environment you are in, stop and take photos and simply make the most of it. For ultra marathons, where you are going through the night, it will also allow you to see the sections of the course you are doing in the dark. This can lead to a more focussed race and fewer distractions/urge to stop for photos while trying to achieve a good result
Can’t Get to Do a Physical Recce?
Remote recces can also be hugely helpful. With Google Maps, you can use Street View to see the terrain. Even for trails, the well walked footpaths have Street View available, or photos from the area.
Websites like Strava are great for analysing in detail the times that previous athletes have taken if your race is on the same route. On a new course, uploading the GPX into Strava and then reviewing the segments on the course and the times achieved on them is one way to help understand the terrain.
You can also get a lot of good information from other runners’ race reports. For trail races, there are often walkers’ reports for some or all of the route, including photos – just search online and you can get lots of details.
It’s also a good idea to watch previous competitors’ YouTube videos from a race to get a feel for the terrain and conditions.
Combining all these features, you should begin to get a detailed picture of the course and put together race plans and timing sheets.